I know much will be made about Miami winning in double overtime over Florida State, but October 17 was all about SURVIVE AND ADVANCE in college football across the entire country. We witnessed a historic weekend of chaos, with more AP Top 10 teams losing than on any other weekend in college football history. Miami, however, found a way to survive. Was it pretty? Absolutely not. And there are obviously things this Miami team needs to clean up moving forward. The Hurricanes made mistakes, failed to capitalize on opportunities, and allowed Florida State to hang around in a game they had chances to put away. Those are things that will need to be addressed, especially as the competition gets tougher and the stakes continue to rise. But there’s also something to be said about finding a way to win when things aren’t going your way. Good teams aren’t always going to play their best football. There will be games where execution isn’t sharp, where the opponent plays above expectations, and where adversity forces you to respond. Miami was tested. Miami was pushed. And Miami answered the call. Hats off to Florida State, too. The Seminoles fought tremendously throughout that game, and considering the deeper, systemic issues surrounding that program, it’s a pretty fascinating situation. For all the problems Florida State has dealt with, that team showed up in Miami and competed with a level of urgency and determination that deserves recognition. Speaking with several Miami contingents after the game, the sentiment was very much a level of respect for what Florida State did on Saturday. That doesn’t excuse Miami’s shortcomings. You can acknowledge that Florida State played a tremendous game while also recognizing that Miami has plenty to improve upon. Both things can be true. At this point in the season, style points are nice, but they’re not nearly as important as continuing to stack wins. Just look around the country at what happened to several teams that weren’t fortunate enough to escape this weekend. Miami still has work to do. Nobody should pretend otherwise. I am certain they will have one of the toughest weeks of practice under Mario Cristobal if you understand how things operate in Coral Gables. But the Hurricanes are still standing, and on a weekend when so many other giants fell, that is what matters. 1-0